Tyre News

Latest news from the continued tyre testing with General Grabber MT's is that the "Cimes Tractor", our AJS built Defender 110 TD5 finished the Jean de la Fontaine in Soissons, France and was 1st Diesel, 3rd Production and 22nd overall, there were 64 starters.

Yet again we finished with the same set of tyres we started on with no problems.

Below is a short video by John Hilton covering all but the night stage.

**** New fom General Tire - The Grabber Mud Terrain ****  02/03/2014
 
General Tire is pleased to announce the return of their legendary Grabber Mud Terrain to complete their already extensive product line-up. 
 
Set to be of great interest to the professional and enthusiast consumer the Grabber Mud Terrain can boast the following features and benefits. 
 
• Aggressive open pattern design including stone ejector ribs. 
• Aggressive open shoulder design. 
• 3 ply carcass construction giving excellent durability. 

Available in: 
 
235/75R15 104/101Q - Mazda B2500, Daewoo Korando, Isuzu Trooper, Ford Ranger & Maverick, Ssangyong Musso. 
 
265/75R16 123/120Q - Land Rover 90/110/130 and conversion size 
 
31x10.50R15 109Q – Popular conversion size 
 
33x12.50R15 108Q – Popular Off-road enthusiast conversion 

"AJS Tyres Defender 110 4x4 Racer to stick with General Tire". 20/02/2014 

 AJS Tyres owner Andy Sargeant has said today he is sticking with General Tire for the 2014 off road race season. "We will be using the 265/75x16 General Grabber MT tyres for this year after the fantastic performance they gave us last year". Andy found thet the strength of the General Grabber MT tyres were second to none last season and suited the Defender 110 TD5 racer very well. No punctures and no sidewall cuts proves the strength of the tyre, and when you consider the weight of the Defender 110 he thinks its "way above the competition" and is looking foeward to the 2014 season with General Grabber Tires under the heavy Defender 110. He has four races planed in France and one in Iceland which he and his new co-driver Andrew Graham (AlliSport) are looking forward to and counting the days. We will keep you up to speed with all the latest news. 

"Yokohama opens Swedish winter tyre test centre"  19/02/2014

On 17 February 2014 Yokohama's European subsidiary has officially opened a dedicated winter tyre development and testing centre in Nattberg, Sweden, roughly 80 kilometres from the artic circle. The latest news represents the most recent development in the expanding cooperation between Yokohama and Nordic tyre specialists Artic Falls, which began roughly a decade ago. In practice this means Yokohama has signed a long-term contract with Artic Falls for exclusive use of the facility during the long winter season and that it is branded as Yokohama Test Center of Sweden.

"Maintenance Madness Risking Lives"  19/02/2014

Drivers failing to look after and replace their tyres are putting their own lives, and those of others in grave danger. The stark warning has been issued by TyreSafe after it received shocking images from one independent tyre dealer who was left flabbergasted by the state of one of its customers’ tyres.

The tyre, which was removed from a high performance BMW 3-series, was so worn, none of its tread pattern remained, making it virtually useless in the wet. Furthermore, the wear was so great on one shoulder of the tyre that it had started to destroy the integrity of the tyre carcass, with potentially fatal high speed consequences.

“This particular tyre was an accident waiting to happen,” exclaimed Stuart Jackson, Chairman TyreSafe. “Adequate tread depth is essential all year round, but particularly important just now when we are experiencing so much rain and difficult driving conditions. Checking your tyre tread depth is very simple and only takes a few minutes. It really is something that all drivers should do at least once a month to stay safe and legal.”

Current UK law requires car drivers to have at least 1.6mm of tread on their tyres across the central three quarters of the tyre around its entire circumference. Those found to be in breach of this law can face fines of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre. Indeed, in 2012 more than 170 drivers per week were successfully prosecuted in court for driving on defective tyres.

However, more importantly, driving on illegal tyres can greatly reduce safety on the road, especially in wet conditions. The tyre’s tread grooves help to evacuate water from the road surface, enabling the tyre to grip the road properly so that the vehicle can brake, steer and accelerate safely. Without adequate tread depth, all of these are greatly compromised, risking the safety of the driver, their passengers and other road users.

To help drivers quickly assess if their car tyres are safe and legal, TyreSafe recommends taking the 20p test. Drivers simply need to insert a 20p coin into the main grooves of a tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is visible when inserted into the groove, then the tread is probably too low and should be inspected immediately by a qualified tyre professional.

“Sadly, the bad weather shows no sign of subsiding at the moment so it’s particularly important that drivers ensure their tyres can cope in these terrible conditions,” adds Jackson. “If you’re in any doubt then pop into your local tyre specialist who I’m sure would be delighted to check things for you.”

For more information: www.tyresafe.org.